Don't Think - Lab Rats: Bionic Island (Chase X OC)
by kaceydj5555
Summary: Amina has finally found a home at Davenport Industries' Bionic Academy. She's a powerful super-speeding genius, but when she accidentally develops the startling ability to read minds, she feels she made a mistake. One peer into her best friend's head, and she realizes that the school is in danger of a rebel band of bionic students. Now she must choose between love or power. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

"Why so quiet, Amina? Are you _scared_?" Dellie hissed. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she threw a punch at my shoulder. With a bored sigh, I smoothly slid to the side, ducking under her arm. Before she could even blink, I threw my leg out and knocked her feet out from under her.

Dellie collapsed to the ground with a frustrated grunt. I took this chance to glance at the large timer ticking above us. Twenty seconds until the match was called. And it was obvious which one of us was going to win. Never the less, Dellie rose from the ground, wincing as her ankle twisted underneath her.

We circled each other, Dellie stumbling every couple of feet. I smirked at her struggle, and took the first swing. She didn't expect me to take the offense, and forgot to duck. My fist connected with her chin, giving a vicious _crack!_ Her head swung to the side, her eyes wide. I waved away the pain in my hand, and watched the crisp red blood drip from Dellie's mouth. She took a second to wipe the blood, her eyes narrowing before clenching her fist and taking a jab at my abdomen. I zoomed out of the way using my super-speed, and appeared suddenly behind her. I shoved her to the ground with a shout. She shrieked as she hit the ground, just barely catching herself with her hands. Her head swiveled to glare at me.

She was a vicious little bugger, but I could see the defeat in her eyes. As many times as she swung, she knew she could never hit me. But, for her sake, while I was fast and calculated, she had a will stronger than titanium. Lucky for me, this was just hand-to-hand combat training. If this had been a _real_ battle, she probably would have attacked me wildly with every ability hidden up her sleeve, and I'd just be a pile of ashes, smoldering on the concrete floor.

The timer went off with a sharp _buzz_ -telling us our time was up- and bright lights suddenly blared all around us. The timer flashed TIME'S UP, before resetting to one minute for the next group.. Half-hearted applause sounded from outside the training arena. The electric fence that had surround us sizzled away, and Donald Davenport stepped forward, a tablet in one hand and a fresh water bottle in the other.

"And the match goes to Amina!" He announced, a wide grin on his face. "That's five battles this week," he praised. He marked something down on his tablet, and waved over Tank and Miles, the next competitors. "Great job, Amina," he told me, clapping me on the shoulder."Why don't you and Donaldella each take a cool shower, and we'll talk about promoting you to red at lunch?"

I nodded fiercely, and gratefully took the bottle from his outstretched hand. I took a gulp, thankful for the cool rush, before offering it to Dellie, who was slowly rising from the ground. "Nice try, Dells," I told her, entirely sincere. I knew what it felt like to be on the opposite side of the winners circle, and I made a point of never smack-talking or gloating.

" _Five battles this week_ ," Dellie mocked, swiping the water from my hand and setting the cold exterior to her bruised chin. "Let the underdogs win for once, why don't you?" She asked with an accusatory glare as we gallivanted out of the ring. Eagerly awaiting the next battle, the small crowd around us dispersed as Dellie and I made our way to the showers.

She muttered obscenities under her breath, as she cradled the water bottle to her face. "Why did you have to hit me so hard?" she whined, as we crossed into one of the larger hallways. I smirked, and pushed her shoulder lightly. "I didn't hit you _that_ hard. But I had to give the crowd _something_ to watch, didn't I? You kept missing."

Dellie scoffed, pushing me back. Caught off guard, I nearly stumbled into the wall, surprised. If she had used that kind of strength in the training, she might have actually had a chance. "Well, if you weren't so fast, and so freaking _stoic_ , I might have been able to get a few hits in. But your silence treatment was freaking me out."

I straightened myself, and lifted an eyebrow at her, ignoring her sudden burst of strength. "That was the point. It was a new intimidation tactic; Maybe you should try it once and a while," I teased. Dellie scoffed, and I could tell she was still upset over her loss. I sighed, and stopped her in the middle of the empty hallway, forcing her to face me.

Dellie was a tiny little person; a petite blonde with rosy cheeks and pink lips. She looked delicate, but if anyone said that to her face, they'd end up on the wrong side of one of her lightning bolts. To make up for her lack of height and muscle, she was all sharp edges and rough words. She tried so hard not to be looked over, but it didn't help that her best friend was...well, me.

"Tell me what's wrong." I demanded, trying to read her expression. She refused to look me in the eyes, and instead glared at the orange patch on my uniform, her blue eyes stormy. My mouth made a small 'o' shape as realization dawned on me, slower than it should have. I felt frustrated with myself. I should have known she was angry over me being promoted from an orange to a red in one day, when she was still stuck at green. When the Davenport Academy first started a couple weeks ago, we were both yellows, but we soon got promoted after Davenport realized what we could do. But Dellie, who was kind of a brat to her mentors, came to a sticky stop at green while I continued to move up in the ranks.

I ran a hand over my face, feeling guilty. "Don't be mad at me, Dells. I didn't ask to be promoted to red. If it bothers you so much, I can talk to Chase or Mr. Davenport, and see if they can-" Dellie cut me off, clearly exasperated. "I'm not mad at you, Amina. I just kinda wish that I had...the _power_ that you do. You are so strong and fast, and so freaking smart, when all I can do is chuck lightning bolts from my fingers." She lifted a hand and stared at it sadly, watching as small blue sparks rippled over her knuckles. I grasped her hand- the one that wasn't sparking- and squeezed it.

"You have an amazing power, Dell. You just don't do enough with it. You keep trying to train yourself physically, when you should be working on enhancing the powers you _do_ have." Dellie scoffed at me, but I could tell my words were registering somewhere in her brain. She knew she didn't have super strength or super-speed, but she had some amazing powers over electricity. She kept picking fights with kids who did have super-strength and super-speed (for example: _me_ ) in hand-to-hand combat, in an attempt to 'challenge herself', when all that did was destroy her self-esteem. Not to mention give her some nasty bruises.

"You know, you could ask Adam to help convert your lightning into plasma balls. That would be cool. And I know Chase pissed you off pretty bad in your last session, but if you asked him _politely_ , he might teach you about force fields," I offered. Her jaw clenched, and I knew instantly that I had struck a nerve. My stomach sunk. I shouldn't have brought up Chase. Great, now I was going to get a lightning bolt up my ass. I tensed, waiting for her to speak. "Maybe," she said shortly, surprising me. Let's just say she had a temper, and I've walked one to many kids to the infirmity because of her.

She pulled her hand away from me, and set off down the hall, throwing her hands up in annoyance.

"It's just, electrokinesis is so _generic_. Amanda has it, Brandy has it, Nicholas, Ivy, Tate, Luke," she listed, ticking down on her fingers as she went. "I mean, _Leo_ even has it, and he's only _partially_ bionic." I hurried to catch up with Dellie, rubbing my temple in an attempt to ease my exasperation. I hated when she went off on a tangent like this- I could hardly keep up with her thought process- but at least I knew she wasn't mad at me anymore.

"And what's _with_ Leo?" She asked, her hands flying. "His rank is always changing. One day he's yellow, the next green, and then _back_ to yellow. Can't he make up his mind? Bu at least he gets to go on missions with the Team," she huffs. The 'Team' being Adam, Bree, Chase and Leo, Davenport's first and most experienced bionic super-humans. We all looked up to them- except for a select few- even though they certainly were not the most powerful bionics at the academy, much to the Team's chagrin.

We entered the girl's bathrooms, blinking through the hot steam. Dellie sidled in front of a foggy mirror, and wiped the condensation away with her fingers, inspecting the bruises on her chin and under her eye. While I could take credit for her chin, you could blame the black eye on Lexi, who smacked her pretty hard with a bo staff last week. Dellie's eye was pretty nasty right afterwards- all red and shiny- but she got her revenge on Lexi the day after, during the bomb-diffusing practice. Dellie kicked butt at anything involving electricity and wires.

Dellie put her fingers to her chin, and twisted her head around, her lips pursed. "Well," she started. "Despite your preference to defense, you certainly have a mean left hook." I smiled at her sheepishly in the mirror, ignoring the fact that my skin was completely blemish-free, while hers was racked with unhealed scars, burns and bruises. "Do you want some ice for that, Dell?" I asked her, even though I knew she what she would say.

She shrugged, nonchalant, and turned suddenly to grab a dry towel from the rack. "I've had worse," She said simply, before shoving the towel at my chest. "Now go take a shower. You're sweating through your uniform," she informed me. I tucked the towel under my armpit, and pulled at the collar of my shirt. "You're no better," I told her. "You have dried blood on your lip,"

Dellie narrowed her eyes at me, and I quickly gave her a smirk, letting her know I was just teasing. Dellie stared at me for a second, before rolling her eyes, and nabbing a towel for herself. We lingered in the bathroom, waiting for the showers to be empty. Not many people took showers so close to lunch, so if we waited a bit we'd have the bathrooms all to ourselves. Feeling warm, Dellie began to strip off her uniform, revealing a worn grey tank top and boxer shorts underneath. Where she got the boxer shorts, I didn't want to know.

She turned toward the mirror again, just as one of the showers turned off, and Georgina -one of Dellie's dorm mates- stepped out, a green towel wrapped around her. I averted my eyes out of courtesy, but Georgina just walked past us leisurely, thinking nothing of it. She smiled at Dellie and nodded at me, before sashaying away to the changing rooms, her long, wet, copper hair swinging behind her. We silently watched her walk away before Dellie smirked, leaning forward. "Did you hear what Georgina did to Liam earlier today when he judo-flipped her in class?" She whispered. I shrugged in response. "She had a total meltdown, and ended up searing off half of his mullet with her heat vision." I burst out laughing, and nearly dropped my towel. "Good thing too, because despite what anyone might say, _no one_ looks good in a mullet," she continued. Our laughter echoed in the empty bathroom, and I felt a rush of warmth.

The laughter trickled away eventually, and I paused, chewing on my lip, a nervous habit. "Hey," I said, reaching to touch her shoulder. She was back to her old self, joking and complaining...but I still felt uneasy. She glanced at me, her eyes revealing nothing. I tasted blood in my mouth as my teeth broke through the skin. It was a nasty habit, but I couldn't help it.

"We're okay, right?" I asked her, shifting uncomfortably. After a distinct pause, Dellie rolled her eyes at me, and pushed my hand away. "Of course, Amina," she said, and a rush of relief went through me. "You know how I get. Just...worry about yourself, okay? I know you're this all-powerful alpha girl, but I've heard that sometimes if you push your bionics too far, you might...you know, actually end up...well... _exploding_. Do you remember Johnathan?"

I faintly recalled a gangly, freckle-faced boy, whose brains Mr. Davenport had to scrape off the walls after Jon tried using more than one bionic power at once. Some kids could handle it-but others...not so much. I grimaced. "Ugh. I try not too." Dellie nodded absentmindedly in agreement, and twisted her towel nervously in her hands. "Well, sometimes the expert level kids are pushed really hard, especially if Chase is mentoring them." We both are quite familiar with Chase's unfortunate teaching methods, but I didn't mind his attitude so much as tolerated it. Dellie, on the other hand, despised him. "I just don't want you to get hurt," she finished, refusing to look me in the eyes.

At that moment, I felt incredibly thankful to have Dellie as my friend. She was fiercely competitive, but also extremely loyal, which together were dangerous qualities. But here she was, worrying about me, when moments ago she was complaining about being left in the dust. I was usually confused by her ever-changing emotions, but I realized that was how she dealt with her emotions. Instead of being angry at me for upstaging her, she was trying to support me. She was a great friend. And, on the other hand, a terrible enemy. Get on her bad side, and you could very easily get burned.

I smiled gratefully at Dellie, and pulled her into a hug. She was reluctant, but soon gave up her struggling to wrap her arms around me. She patted me awkwardly on the back, but wore a toothy grin. She shoved me away, and waved me towards the showers. "Lunch is in a half an hour," she warned. "If you want to be there on time to suck up to Davenport, you better get moving." I chuckled, and give her one last, thankful smile, before continuing on with my routine.

If I had glanced back right at that moment, I would have noticed her smile fade quickly, her lip curling viciously in a sneer- and I would have realized that everything was certainly not okay between us. In fact, it was far from it.

But I didn't. And instead, I went on, naively thinking that my life couldn't be any better. I had a home, my powers, an amazing friend, and my rank, which was all I really needed. What I didn't know was that I only days away from my whole life unraveling at the seams, all because of one stupid mistake.


	2. Chapter 2

My foot tapped impatiently on the sleek white linoleum floor of the cafeteria as I stared intently at the arched doorway, anxious for any sign of Mr. Davenport. So far, the lunch period was halfway over, and he still hadn't appeared. I had refused food earlier, falsely assuming that I wouldn't have any time to eat- but I had just wasted almost an hour waiting for nothing. My stomach growled in protest.

Without glancing down, I swiped a handful of carrot sticks from the person next to me's tray, earning a spiteful _"Hey!"_ It was Melanie, and she wasn't exactly the sharing type. I chose to ignore her protests, and mockingly munched on her carrot sticks. She wouldn't want them back now.

Was I worried about Mr. Davenport? Not particularly. There were over a hundred students in this academy- over half of them still as clueless as toddlers about their bionics- so it made sense that Mr. D was held up. But that didn't stop me from anxiously twitching in my seat- a strange habit my orange-ranked friends had only recently begun to understand.

"What's up with Amina?" Joseph muttered to Elina, who was absentmindedly wiping the spilt yogurt off her chin. Joseph and Elina were very clearly biological siblings, as they both had shiny black hair, sharp jaws and rich caramel colored skin. And while they were both built like cross-country runners, and dangerously powerful in their own ways, the two couldn't be more different.

Joseph- my favorite dorm mate- was one of the only guys at the Academy to have super speed, a fact he was extremely proud of. But despite his bionic ability, he was one of the most careful and studious people I knew. Elina, on the other hand, was cold and standoffish, which made sense, as her main ability was Cryokinesis- the ability to freeze and manipulate the molecules in most liquids. I didn't really like her, but I liked Joseph, so I tolerated her with an equal sense of cold formality.

Elina glanced at me for barely a second before shrugging, setting her spoon back in her yogurt cup. "I assume she's waiting for someone," she said loudly, earning a wince from Joseph. Melanie- a one of Elina's kinda-friends- leaned forward and put her lips by Joseph's ear. Earlier, she had purposefully sat down in between me and Joseph, despite the fact that she was supposed to sit next to her dorm mates at the yellow table. She, like many other students at the academy, openly ignored most of the rules, but somehow always got away with it.

"She looks so weird staring like that," Melanie giggled. Joseph leaned away from her with a frown, and gave me a sympathetic glance. I let out a small sigh, and tore my gaze from the archway. I let the bitch get to me.

Not wanting to give her anymore satisfaction, I ignored her and leaned over the table in an attempt to speak to my friend. " _If_ you must know," I said to Joseph. "I'm waiting for Mr. Davenport. He told me he wanted to talk to me during lunch, but he hasn't showed up yet." Joseph raised his eyebrows, and opened his mouth to speak, before Melanie separated us with one, large hand. She pressed her fingertips to my forehead in a clear invasion of personal space and pushed me away. "Your hair is in my food, Amina," she said pointedly. _"Sorry,"_ I snapped, and leaned back into my seat. Melanie sneered at me and picked at her food warily with her fork before setting it down carefully in her tray. She sighed. "Well, now that lunch is ruined," _Oh, please_. "What did you do to catch Mr. Davenport's attention?" She asked. Her eyes lit up suddenly. "Did you do something wrong? Maybe you're going to be demoted back to green. Or even yellow."

I smirked at her. "Yeah, I don't think so,"

Melanie didn't exactly have a filter, or even a 'volume down' button. To match her big personality, she was tall with broad shoulders and muscular limbs. She was incredibly strong, as she once beat Adam in arm wrestling. Some of us secretly shipped Adam and Melanie, but I think she had her eyes on someone else. She was always flirting with Joseph, twirling her hair and batting her eyelashes. Although she was usually too sweaty from training to wear makeup, today she had- in bad judgement- applied a thick layer of sparkly pink lip gloss and dark green eye-shadow that I was 100% sure she stole from Bree. Despite her build- which falsely insinuated she was a bit of a tomboy- Melanie had long, curly blonde hair that she kept in a delicate braid down her shoulder, and pretty hazel eyes... that I suddenly had the urge to gouge out. But I digress.

Joseph leaned behind Melanie to look at me, careful not to even brush against the girl. "So then what's Mr. D want to talk to you about?"He asked politely. I smiled at him, and absentmindedly used my finger to write my name on the table with the condensation from Melanie's cup of water. "Well, after I beat Dellie today in today's training, Mr. D told me he was thinking about promoting me to red." Unconsciously, my eyes sought out Dellie at the green table, laughing at a joke one of her other friends told.

Back at my table, everyone's eyes went wide. Even Elina's. "Red, really? That's quite the achievement," Joseph gushed. I nodded, smiling wide. "Yeah. But I feel a little bad about leaving you guys, but I'm still good friends with Dellie and Georgina, even though their still green. I'm mostly excited though." Joseph nodded, beaming at me. "You should be," he said. "This is great for you."

Joseph seemed genuinely happy for me- that's just the type of person he was. Melanie, on the other hand, was openly scowling at me, her arms crossed. "Well, red isn't so great, you know. Its not based on skill, but on strength. They're just a group of dumb sacks of meat." I felt personally insulted. Though, she wasn't exactly wrong. I wracked my brain and shifted in my seat, irritated. "That's not true. Some of the best super-speeders are red. And most of Chase's best geniuses, too." Melanie lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah, but you're _neither_ of those."

Genuinely hurt, I opened my mouth to tell her to shut up, but Joseph beat me to it. "Shuddup, Melanie. Why don't you go back to your own table, if you're going to be so pessimistic?" Melanie's eyes narrowed stubbornly at Joseph, but she pressed her glossy lips together and swiveled her chair around to her grab her tray. She slid off her chair, angrily avoiding eye contact with us. I watched her leave in smug satisfaction while Joseph straightened his back, and hopped into the empty seat next to me. Melanie, unbeknownst to Joseph- whose back was turned to her - gave him a hurt glance over her shoulder. Ugh. I hated it, but couldn't help felling a little bad. She was mean, but I could tell she really liked him.

"Don't be bothered by her, Amina. You're smart _and_ fast. You'll do great in red." Despite his kind words, I didn't speak to him, and instead crossed my arms in disappointment. "What?" He asked, defensive.

Elina lifted an eyebrow at her brother, her eyes stern. "Joseph, you must know that if you were anyone else, Melanie would have crushed you under her thumb like a bug." Joseph scoffed at the analogy, but shifted uncomfortably under his sister's harsh gaze. "Why do you say that?" he asked innocently. Elina's squinted her eyes at her brother, irritated. "You _do_ know she has a huge crush on you, right?" She told him, and I wondered if all guys were this clueless, or if it was just the bionic ones. Joseph looked at us blankly. "Crush?" He asked, confused by her use of the word. Elina stared at him, utterly flabbergasted. My sentiments exactly.

Even though we awoke from what Davenport called the 'Triton App' a month ago- and we were only just adjusting to the outside world- there was no way Joseph was _that_ clueless. He must have experienced some form of romantic feelings at some point, right? It didn't matter to whom. He was still a teenager, after all. Even I had a crush or two, not that I cared to admit it.

Elina's lip curled in disgust, and she looked at me. "Do I really have to give him... _the talk_?" I grimaced at her, and lifted my hands in a _'who knows?'_ gesture. Most of the older girls at the academy were well educated on the topic of human biology, because, despite our bionics, we were still at least partially human. And our bodies still went through very humanly things. I wasn't sure if the guys had the same issue. I thought about it for a second. Our genetics were similar enough, despite a few distinct differences. They probably did.

We girls learned the lesson of life the hard way, and after a few weeks in utter confusion, Bree- although kind of weirded out by the prospect- had to step up and tutor us on how to deal with our female bodies. She even lent us some of her teen-angsty romance novels, and we learned a _lot_ about what it meant to be a teenage girl.

Anyways, back to Joseph. He snapped his fingers sharply, trying to catch our attention, his expression sour. "I honestly have no idea what you guys are talking about," he told us. "And we're way off topic."

Elina sighed and rolled her eyes. "Are you done with your food?" She asked Joseph tiredly. He nodded, and she stood with both their empty trays in hand. "We _will_ talk later," she warned him, before sashaying away swiftly, back to her rigid self. Joseph threw his hands up. "About what?" Joseph shouted after her, clearly confused.

"About _Melanie!_ " I snapped at him, suddenly exasperated. His face went pale. Joseph looked absolutely terrified at the prospect of having that kind of talk with his twin sister, but - after taking a deep breath- I patted his hand in sympathy. "Trust me, you'll thank her later for it," I promised. He still looked bewildered, and I rolled my eyes. "Don't think about it too hard. You'll hurt yourself."


	3. Chapter 3

Twelve minutes after lunch finished, I was finally tired of waiting. I had lingered by the luncheon archway as everyone piled out the door, ready for the next half-hour of free time. As the last person left- it was Georgina, ironically- I just about gave up. I wasn't going to be made red level today.

I sighed, rubbing the goosebumps from my arms. Empty rooms were always cold. I assumed the heating system was rigged to shut down whenever a room was being unused, but it wasn't helping my situation. Deciding to wait five more minutes, even though it was probably for nothing, I decided to make use of my time by speeding around and picking up trash from the floors. I was no housekeeper, but I decided to be a good Samaritan for once. It took only five seconds for the room to be entirely clean, the trash cans full and the floor buffed. I didn't know what the Davenports did with their garbage, so I just left it, after making sure that it wasn't going to spill over onto the shiny white linoleum.

A sudden crash sounded, causing me to jump, and the lights flickered as the ceiling shuddered menacingly. A layer of grey dust fluttered down, and I frowned. I waited a second, but the lights held, and I waved it off. Someone was always thumping around the building. It happened all the time.

Just then, with squeaking shoes, someone rounded the hallway outside the cafeteria, and I spun around just as Chase Davenport entered the room. He stopped at the doorway and eyed me tiredly. I cleared my throat. "Oh. Hi, Chase," I said, tucking my hands in my pockets...before realizing they were covered in crumbs and goop. I wiped them quickly on my shirt, and regretted it not a second later. I'd made a mess of myself.

Chase- who noticed everything- glanced at the trashcans and my dirtied shirt, and surprised me by chuckling. I suddenly became hyper-aware that we were all alone. Usually in our classes there were a dozen other students he was shouting at, so I tried to fly under the radar with him. And now...it was just the two of us. And he didn't seem to be leaving any time soon.

"Thanks for cleaning up, Amina." He told me. I blinked, then followed his gaze to the trash can. "Oh, that?" I said breezily. "I was just...bored," I tried to explain. He nodded absentmindedly and crossed the remainder of the room. With a relieved sigh, he collapsed into one of the chairs. "I thought I was going to have to clean that up," he told me gratefully. "Usually Bree does it like you did- with the whole speeding around- but she and Mr. Davenport are kind of...held up"

It teetered back and forth on my feet awkwardly. I was still standing by the trashcans, because I didn't have the courage to go over and sit by my mentor. "So _that's_ what Mr. D was up too," I murmured. Chase arched an eyebrow. "What?"

I shook my head, not wanting to seem conceited. "Nothing. Never mind. What are they held up with?" I asked quickly. Chase wrung his hands together, his eyes dark. "They're...uh, _helping_ one of Adam's students with a little...problem." Just as he said it, another shudder went through the building, causing the floors to shake. I nearly fell over onto the trash can next to me, but caught myself just in time. "A _little_ problem?" I gasped, staring at the ceiling in bewilderment. What the hell was happening upstairs?

Chase shrugged at me, suspiciously nonchalant considering the situation. Usually if there was an issue, he was one of the first people to respond. "One of the younger kids found out they had a blast wave ability...and they can't figure out how to turn it off," he explained. I scowled at him as another shudder went through the room. How big was that kid's blast wave? Big enough. It felt almost like an earthquake. I looked up as another wave of rubble showered from the ceiling, sprinkling in my dark hair. I threw my hands up in the air to brush it away, almost loosing my balance again. "So why aren't you up there _helping_ the poor kid before he destroys the school?"

Chase blinked at my abruptness, pursing his lips. "I _would_ _,_ " he said "But Adam made it very clear earlier that he wasn't interested in _my_ help," he said huffily. As he sat there brooding like a child, I sighed loudly. "Well, I'm sure he'll learn his lesson today," Chase nodded in agreement, his hazel eyes big. " _Exactly_."

I gave him a look of bewilderment. "No!" I shouted, shaking my head. "No, he won't! Chase, when has Adam _ever_ learned a lesson?" The room shook, and I could hear faint screaming from far away. "You _do_ realize you're putting the whole _school_ in danger, just because of some petty disagreement? Not to mention your _family_! Those blast waves could kill them! They could kill _everyone!_ " Chase stared at me blankly for a second, and I threw my hands up in exasperation. If I could walk straight within falling flat on my face, I would go right over there and smack him upside the head. He may be my mentor, but he was still an idiot teenage boy. I mean, wasn't he supposed to be some sort of genius? Slowly but surely, he finally registered my words, his eyes widening.

The rumbling of the room was nearly constant now, only stopping every few seconds. Despite how dirty it had to be, I latched onto the rim of the trashcan in an attempt to keep balanced. I glanced wistfully at the doorway, pondering whether or not I should just dash. But... what about Chase? I couldn't just leave him. Well, I _could,_ but I wasn't going to. I'm still a bionic hero, in training or not.  
I took a deep breath and tried one more time.

" _Chase,"_ I said emphatically. "This is only going to get worse! You know that." I was close to crying. " _Please,_ Chase!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chase's P.O.V.**  
Oh, God. Amina was right. I jolted up from my seat in a panic, just as a fierce rattle went through the academy. With my super-hearing, I could make out the sound of a support beam above us shattering. I stumbled forward a few feet, falling right into Amina's arms. I froze on contact, my heart stopping. Despite what my siblings said, I wasn't as small as I used to be. She struggled to hold me up, but we somehow managed to stay in a position where we were both balanced in each other's arms, safe from falling over.

Usually I'd be stuttering apologies for running into her like that- accidental or not- but I could hardly speak. I have never held a conversation with an attractive girl for so long, let alone actually _touch_ one. I admit, when she was yelling at me earlier, I was a little starstruck. I mean, girls have yelled at me before- my sister being one- but at the academy, it was totally different circumstances that at school.

I was mentoring these kids. They looked up to me. And maybe I was a little harsh sometimes, and that scared most girls off- but Amina didn't seem scared of me at all. Actually, she seemed a little pissed.

The shuddering calmed for a second, but Amina tensed in my arms. I followed her gaze to the ceiling and swallowed. A flickering light was dangling precariously not a foot above our heads. The ceiling had begun to crumble, falling down in thick chunks around us, blocking any escape route we had. Bare wires stuck out all around the light, the disconnected circuit sparking blue and yellow. If the light fell on us...we'd more than likely be electrocuted- not to mention _crushed._

Seconds felt like eons as we waited in silence for the next rumble. We flinched at every spin of the dangling light, our breathing heavy. "What are we going to do?" Amina whispered, just as momentum took over another chunk of the ceiling, causing it to shatter on the ground.

My mind went into Mission Leader mode as I tried to process all the variables of the situation. I was doubtful that we'd get out of here safely, but we had to try. I looked up at the ceiling and squinted my eyes, trying to see past the wires. I tried to ignore how comfortable I felt, holding Amina in my arms. She was shorter than me- which was rare- by a few inches, and while she was certainly muscular, she was still quite petite.  
I let out a breath through my nose, frustrated with myself. I couldn't afford to get distracted.

"A support beam must have been damaged by the kid's blast wave," I told Amina quietly. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, breathing hard. She was pale, and shivering. Concerned, I pressed my finger lightly into her wrist, testing her heartbeat. It was fast. She must be having a panic attack. "Are you okay?" I asked her. She swallowed again, and let out a breathy sob. "No. The shaking...it made me nauseous."

Very carefully I moved us so she could have room to breath, and I ran my fingers soothingly over her soft golden-brown hair. Now that she wasn't yelling at me, she was kind of sweet. "I can't help with the nausea, but try some controlled breathing," I said softly. "Just like you did in Bree's class when you got winded."

Amina lifted her head, her cheeks flushed pink against her porcelain skin. "How did you know about that?" She asked, confused. I smiled lightly, and brushed my thumb softly along her temple. Her face went even redder. I think mine was red too. When did I get so bold?  
"Even Bree got winded when we first started training," I explained. Her eyebrows pinched together, but she nodded, ducking her head down again.

Another short rumble went through the room, and the archway above the door began to collapse. I had to think fast. I pulled up a blueprint of the academy from my internal hard drive, hoping to God I was wrong.

My stomach sank. The training room-where Bree, Mr. Davenport, Adam and the blast wave-boy were- was right above us. And I was right about the support beam. One more big shake, and the ceiling would come crashing down on us. I couldn't do anything to stop _that,_ but I could lower the chances of both of us- Amina and I- getting hurt. I felt bad that I couldn't help anyone else the the building, but I had to save this girl first.

I had a plan to activate my force field around us when the ceiling came down, but the timing had to be perfect. If I wavered for even a second, one of us could be severely hurt. I didn't need that on my conscience as well. Amina shuddered in my arms as the light above us crashed down another five inches. If I lifted my hand up an inch above my head, my fingertips would just graze the light bulb. I'd have moved us earlier, but parts of the ceiling were still raining down around us.

For a super-safe, consequence-free academy, it sure was shoddily built. The walls shuddered, and I could hear screaming above us. More specifically, Mr. Davenport's screaming. I could recognize _that_ anywhere. The kid's blast wave was out of control.

I couldn't help but feel a little responsible for this. I could have helped Adam. I _should_ have helped him, despite our 'petty disagreement'. It didn't matter that I was tired of being treated like dirt by my brother. I certainly didn't matter to me _now._ Other things were more important.  
I was a mentor, a leader and a hero, and my students should always come first. I was petty earlier, and I fully admit it. I was sorry for it.

I looked down at Amina, and she stared up at me with big, innocent brown eyes. _"I'm sorry,"_ I mouthed to her. Her tears were staining my shirt, but I didn't give a damn. Her eyes flickered up, and her mouth opened in a shriek as the ceiling came crashing down.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chase's P.O.V.**  
I tried to get the force field up around us, but I got stuck staring into Amina's eyes. It was a stupid mistake, but couldn't help it. They were wide and sparkling with tears; a beautiful dark brown with shiny flecks of bronze that reflected my own, terrified face. I hardly knew the girl. I was her mentor- but she was one out of a hundred other students. What made her so special?

Maybe I was emotional, due to the whole life-or-death situation. Or maybe it was the fact that- in the first few minutes that we actually _talked-_ she didn't treat me like I was _just_ her mentor. She didn't treat me like I was just that weird bionic kid that usually got looked over when compared to his older siblings. She was sassy, smart, pretty...and just...special. I didn't know _why_ , which was weird for me. She just...was.

The point was, my timing was off, no matter the reason...and that's when everything went wrong.


	6. Chapter 6

**Amina's P.O.V.**  
It all happened so fast. One minute I'm shouting at Chase to- in so many words- get off his sorry ass, and in the next we're in each other's arms, fearing for our lives. It was infuriating how much I enjoyed his touch. I couldn't help shivering as he stroked my hair, as he tried to calm me down. I knew I was overreacting, but the rumbling of the building terrified me. I was supposed to be safe here. I already knew having a hundred bionic students in one building was potentially hazardous, but I never came this close to death before. Situations like this were supposed to be contained before they went out of control...like now.

When the ceiling came crashing down entirely, my body acted without thinking. I yanked Chase out of the way of the falling lamp, and tried to use my super-speed to get us out. But chunks of the ceiling were blocking my path, and I wasn't lithe enough to dart around all the falling rubble. My stomach sunk as I realized that- even with my bionics- I was utterly useless. Even Chase was having trouble raising a force-field. We kept having to dodge pieces of sheet-rock, and the blue glow from his hands kept shimmering away. I squinted through the dust, trying to find a way out. Screaming at Chase to _move,_ I pushed him toward the only doorway. Of course, the exit was blocked by the fallen archway, but I figured Chase could use his Molecular Kinesis to move them out of the way. I knew it was a pathetic plan, and there were so many ways it could go wrong- but I didn't see any other options. My mind screamed at me to think it through; Think of all the mission tactics I'd learned, all the simulations I'd done. But my panic became me, and I recklessly pushed us through the smoky dust and the hailing sheet-rock, trying not to cough out my lungs.

"Amina!" Chase shouted. I could hardly hear him through the rumbling, and didn't grace him a response. As the room quaked, I stumbled, my momentum knocking me to the ground. I let go of Chase's shirt, and landed clumsily on the floor, my neck snapping back.

My head hit the side of a cafeteria table violently, and my stomach lurched, bile coming up my throat. My vision was blurred with tears of pain, and my breathing came in sharp gasps. I could feel warm blood trickling down my neck, and I knew that I probably had a concussion. I didn't know whether to stay in one place or move- not that I was balanced enough to do either. If I focused, I could just make out Chase stumbling towards the archway, momentarily unaware that I was no longer behind him. Reflex kicked in as something sounded above me, and I rolled to the side, just barely missing a large chuck of sheet-rock. I shrieked as it shattered- throwing my hands up to protect my face- but a piece lodged itself deep into my thigh and shards scattered all over my body. A sharp pain ran up my leg, and I squinted through the dust and my tears trying to see how bad it was. Oh, god, look at all that blood. It stained the white floor red, mixing with the little particulates that hovered in the air.

"Amina!" Chase shouted again. I could sense he was wandering blindly through the cafeteria, ramming into broken tables trying to find me. I tried to sit up and call out to him, but every movement hurt. My nerves sparked, and I knew instantaneously that my body was glitching. Regular people wouldn't be feeling so much pain from one little wound, would they? I glanced down at the sharp chunk of rock impaled in my leg, and swallowed, my throat raw. Okay, not little. _Not little_. My head pounded, and I let out a sob. I felt as if there was a elephant on my chest, crushing the breath out of me.

The vibrations of the room gradually slowed, but I could hear soft shrieks coming from... _everywhere._ What the hell was that? My head was echoing with noises, most of them unintelligible. I couldn't think straight, and my vision blurred so much that all I could see was a milky white fog. I didn't notice as a large piece of sheet-rock dislodged above my head- my only indication that something bad was going to happen being Chase's shrill shriek. I lifted my head absentmindedly to see if he was okay, but not before something shattered over my skull, raining onto my shoulders. Pain arched through my every nerve, and everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thirteen hours later**_  
Off and on I came too, only to rid the contents of my stomach, and to scream out in utter pain as someone moved my leg. When I finally awoke for good, I thought I was, perhaps, in heaven, as all I could see was white. But no. I heard voices, most of them too soft or too muffled to distinguish. But one voice brought me to the surface, though I didn't know who it was, at first. My eyes fluttered, trying to clear away the tears that had unintentionally spilled over. I felt like hell.

A cool wash cloth was placed over my temple, and only then did I realize how warm I was. I remember the cafeteria being cold when it fell. I remember shivering in fear as is crumbled around me and...and... _Chase._

I jolted up- or, at least tried too- but pain arched through my head and neck, and I collapsed back onto the bed I was strapped too. Strapped too? Why the hell was I strapped down? I blinked through the pain, and noticed the smiling face of my best friend above me.

"Hey," she said, her voice soothing. "Looks like sleeping beauty is finally up,"

My eye twitched. I heard her voice, but it sounded...different, for some reason. It took me a second to register her words, but when I did, I let out a weak chuckle. My lungs burned in protest, and I winced. Dellie yanked her hand- and the cloth- away, as if afraid she was hurting me. I lifted up a hand to stop her, but it was held down by the straps. She noticed my struggling and quickly removed the Velcro binding, relieving the pressure on my abdomen. "Sorry about that," she said. "It was just a precaution. We were afraid that when you woke up, you would start glitching."

We who? But I shook my head, not even caring anymore. "What," I croaked. "In the hell... _happened_?" I finished, my chest heaving. Dellie gave me a pitying look- as if I was some sort of kicked puppy- and set the wet cloth on the bedside table, which was adorned with nothing but a simple white lamp, and a bowl of mints. I glanced down at the bed I was in, confused by all the buttons and switches on the armrest. A grey _something_ was clipped onto my right pointer finger, a cord running from it to a monitor that hung on the wall, beeping a little too fast for comfort. Dellie noticed the monitor, and her eyebrows pinched in concern. The word _heartbeat_ echoed in my head. And then, _Davenport,_ it said. I frowned, confused. The voice was...not my own. Dellie looked back at me, mistaking my confusion for anxiety and held up two fingers. "You'll be fine. Just...just wait _two_ seconds," she begged. "Let me get Mr. Davenport."

She swiftly stood up from the chair she was in and jogged out of the room. As I waited for her, I looked around the room, noticing that it was pitch black outside the wide window. I could make out the stars from here, reflecting off the ocean waves. Oddly relaxing, in contrast to this bed. Ugh, how could people sleep like this? Horizontally, I mean.

Voices echoed in my head before anyone even came into my room. They were sharp and short, but quiet enough that if I tried hard enough it could all become background noise. But as the noises outside the infirmity- which is what I assumed this place was- grew louder, the voices in my head did too. As soon as Mr. Davenport and Dellie stepped into the room, my head was pounding. I struggled to pay attention to my surroundings, but it was difficult. Soon, a thin sheen of sweat beaded off my lip.

"Hey, Amina!" Davenport said, a little too loudly. I winced, my ears ringing. "Hi," I forced out. I think I tried to smile, but it probably came out a little...frightening. Davenport glanced at Dellie and whispered something in her ear. I couldn't hear the words exactly, but somehow I just knew. _Get her some water...water...water..._ it resonated in my head. Dellie nodded in response and bounced out of the room, her short blonde ponytail swinging behind her. As soon as Dellie was gone, Davenport turned to me, faking enthusiasm. "So, how are you feeling?" He asked me, sliding into the chair. In his hands was a small tablet, and through the translucent back, I could see my name written on it in a plain type font. I looked up at Davenport, and realized he was still waiting for a response. "Oh," I said. "I've...I've been better," I nodded, and looked down at his tablet. "Okay, before we get into anything, I suppose you want to know what happened, huh? We've...uh...we've been getting that a lot."

That came as a surprise. "What do you mean? Were more people hurt?" I asked, my voice rising in concern. The heart monitor beeped sporadically behind me, and Davenport quickly laid a consoling hand on my arm. "No, no," he soothed. "Most of the students were in the courtyard, thankfully. The building sustained some damage, but it was mostly in the training room and the cafeteria." He was trying to console me, but I could hear what he wasn't saying. _It just seemed worse to_ her _than it really was,_ he thought. I could recognize the voice now. It was _absolutely_ Mr. Davenport's voice in my head, but how on Earth was that even possible?

I couldn't help shivering. Something was really wrong with me. Mr. Davenport was watching me, concerned, and I quickly changed the subject."How's Adam and Bree? And the blast-wave kid?" I asked. Mr. Davenport grimaced, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, Adam and Bree are okay, but Ian- the kid- he's...alive, to say the least. He stopped glitching, but not before the floor fell. He broke a few support beams. Anyways, he's okay. Adam and Bree caught him before he fell, but he was pretty shaken up afterwards, poor kid." I let out a relieved sigh.

"How's Chase? Did he make it out?" I asked, fearing the worse. Mr. Davenport eyed me warily, before giving a small smile. "He's absolutely fine," he told me, but the voice in my head thought differently. Mr. Davenport was lying. What was wrong with Chase? I tried to be rational- why would Mr. Davenport say Chase was fine, if he wasn't? But panic still rose in my chest.

"You're lying," I said sharply, tears running down my face. " _Tell me what happened_ ,"

The heart monitor was beeping wildly, and I could feel myself getting warmer. My head pounded, and the voices were coming at me from all sides. It wasn't just Mr. Davenport anymore. I spun my head toward the doorway, seconds before Dellie even stepped in. Her eyes went wide as she saw the tears on my face and heard the beeping of the monitor, "I leave her for _five_ minutes!" She scolds Mr. Davenport, who puts his hands up defensively. Dellie was squeezing the sides of the paper cup, and water was spilling over the top. I flinched as it hit the floor, the sound echoing in my head. _Oh, shit,_ Dellie's said in my head, loud and clear. Why could I hear her too? What _was_ this?

I slapped my hands over my ears, my fingers grazing the bandage wrapped around my temple. The voices were everywhere. I could feel them drifting in from the hallways, above and below me- all meaningless words and phrases, from a hundred different voices. It made me feel like screaming. Maybe I did, I don't know. I closed my eyes and moaned, unable to form a coherent sentence of my own. Someone shook me, trying to pry my hands from my ears. They were yelling my name, and I could hear something, somewhere, beeping wildly. God, the _voices,_ the _thoughts._ I couldn't get them out. I felt like I was going crazy.

Someone finally tore my hands away, and I popped open my eyes, trying to see through the spinning of my head. Someone else came through the door- I recognized Leo, in his black and yellow uniform- and he was wondering if everything was alright. I could hear _him_ in my head too. Dellie shouted at him to leave _,_ and- after a startled look at me- he left. His voice in my head was miffed, not happy with they way Dellie had spoken to him. _How. Did. I. Know. This?!_

"Make it stop!" I croaked, and after hearing a few alarmed responses- both in my head, and out- I felt something pierce my forearm. The pain wasn't terrible, but it was just one more thing that drove me over the edge. I let out a shriek, and struggled to pull my arms away. The voices in my head were screaming. They were thinking about _me,_ wondering what was wrong, what they could do to help. I wanted to tell them what I was feeling- what I was _hearing-_ but I didn't know how. I felt something cool enter my body, like a worm sliding up through my bloodstream, and everything went numb. _Morphine,_ I heard.

The pain in my head subsided, and I let out a cry of relief- but there was still a pressure, deep within my subconscious. I tried to move myself, tried to sit up and get rid of the numbness- it made me feel as if I was drowning- but I could hardly move. Some part of me remembered the Velcro straps, and could sense the familiar bindings around me...but I couldn't do anything about it.

Gradually, I began to calm down. One by one, the voices faded away into background noise, a few of them disappearing completely. But some familiar voices stayed, and those were the most clear. Now that I could finally think for myself, I forced myself back into reality. I squinted, trying to make out the faces that hovered above me. They weren't speaking- just watching me warily- but their voices were the most prominent in my head. They...they were scared. Scared for _me_. Scared _of_ me.

And I was too. What was happening to me?


	8. Chapter 8

_She's acting crazy. She must have hit her head pretty hard,_ Dellie said softly in my head. I scrunched my eyebrows together, fairly irritated at her. I tried to speak, but my throat was raw from screaming. "Stop...stop thinking that. I'm not...crazy." At least, I don't _think_ I am. Dellie swallowed above me, and turned to Mr. Davenport. "What's wrong with her?" she whispered. Mr. Davenport pulled away, shaking his head. "I have no idea. Maybe it was a glitch? I'll...I'll go run some tests and check her vitals." he said, and shoved his tablet into Dellie's hands. "Watch her," he warned. "Send me a message if she...if _something_ happens," He finished and hurried away, faster than a man his age should be able to move. Dellie stared after him, her mouth open as if to protest, but he was already gone. She turned back to me, her eyes...scared. Her _thoughts_ even sounded scared.

"Dellie," I begged. She flinched at her name, before taking a brave step toward me. We stared at each other for a few agonizing seconds, before she spoke. "Amina," Dellie said slowly. "Can you tell me what...just... _happened_ to you?"

 _Happened...happened..._ her voice echoed in my head. I bit my lip, my eye twitching. I didn't know how to tell her. With the voices gone, I could finally think. I could finally analyze what was happening to me. I had an idea, but it was...not good.

But I had to tell _someone,_ and who better than my best friend?

I took a deep breath, my chest seizing. I waved down at the Velcro strap around me. "Could you...please?" I croaked. Dellie took another step forward, setting Davenport's tablet on the bedside table. With shaking hands, she removed the straps, and adjusted my pillow as I sat up. "Just don't go crazy on me again," Dellie told me seriously. Tiredly, I gave her a sarcastic smile. "I'll try not to," I joked. I knew a sense of normality would help her- and me- calm down.

She had a reason to fear me. That whole... _breakdown_ wasn't a good experience for me, and it probably wasn't pretty to watch either.

Dellie slid into the chair across from me and grabbed my clammy hand, ready for me to speak. "Okay...okay, this is going to sound...crazy," I started. "But I think I can hear...people's thoughts."

Dellie blinked at me, and opened her mouth slightly. I tensed in the cot, waiting anxiously for her response. Finally, she spoke."Um...well, you know, that doesn't sound so crazy," she said, trying to console me. "We're _bionic,_ Amina. But why..." she trailed off. I knew what she was thinking, and I couldn't answer her. I had no idea why or _how_ I even got the ability; Before the accident, I was certain that super speed and super intelligence was all I had. But now...

"I don't know," I responded truthfully. "It just _happened_ while Mr. Davenport and I were talking...and it hurt so bad. I got overwhelmed, and couldn't think straight." I told her. "I kept hearing voices. Yours, Mr. Davenport's, Leo's...a number of others." Dellie frowned at me and leaned back in her chair. "Alright," she said slowly. "Let's test this. Tell me, what am I thinking?"

I was afraid she would ask that. It wasn't easy for me to just focus on one voice, although her thoughts were _so clear_. Maybe...maybe it was because we were still holding hands. For some reason, it almost made it easier. I could drown everyone else out and focus just on her. I'd have to remember that for later. I narrowed my eyes and tuned out the sounds of the infirmity.

"You're...you're thinking about... _Sebastian_?" I blinked, and watched as a plume of red rolled over Dellie's cheeks. I let out a mocking gasp, and gave Dellie a big smile. "Does someone have a _crush?"_ Dellie coughed in her fist, letting go of me, and avoided looking at my face. "No...no, of course not. So this _telepathy_ ," she said, changing the subject.. "Does it...hurt?" I eyed her warily and shrugged in response. "So far, it hasn't been pleasant."

I _knew_ she was thinking about Sebastian, but I let it go, not wanting to mention how clearly I could hear her thoughts. I couldn't make out everything- her thought process was so jumpy- but I could tell that I had convinced her. We certainly weren't strangers to strange powers, now were we? Dellie just stared at me, shaking her head in amazement. We didn't notice Davenport come into the room until he clasped a pale hand on Dellie's shoulder. We both jumped, startled, and Davenport looked down at us, his eyes revealing nothing. "Doing better then, I assume?" He asked. Dellie and I stared at him in silence, and Davenport's forced smile faded away, his eyes widening. "What is it?" He asked us urgently.

Dellie crossed her arms and glared at him. "You tell us," she said darkly. "What happened to her? Because, for some reason, Amina can now _read minds!"_


	9. Chapter 9

To my extreme surprise, Mr. Davenport didn't even seem fazed. He simply stared at Dellie, before pressing his lips together in annoyance. He crossed his arms, and glowered at her. "I wanted to be the one to say it," he whined. My eyes went wide, and I sat up, suddenly angry. "You _knew?!"_ I asked him, utterly amazed. Mr. Davenport shied away from me, holding his hands up, as if to protect himself.

"I wasn't sure," he admitted. "When you were rescued from the wreck, we had to run a lot of tests to insure your bionic chip wasn't damaged due to the head injuries."

"And?" Dellie pressured, leaning forward in the chair. My hands were clenched, my nails digging into my palms. Mr. Davenport sighed before swiping up his tablet form the table. It took a few seconds for him to find what he needed, but soon he had risen a holographic image of a small, black and white rectangular chip. I looked at it, confused- but before I could speak, Mr. Davenport had magnified the image. It took a second for the pixels to once again align, but then I could make out the intricate circuitry, how it spiraled beautifully through the chip. My eyes were drawn to the letter 'S' and the number '41' etched lightly in the bottom corner. S-41...Soldier 41. Me.

I glanced at Mr. Davenport. "Is that...my bionic chip?" I asked him. Mr. Davenport nodded, and pointed at the image. "Look closer," he urged. "Right in the middle." I leaned forward and squinted at the screen. Almost immediately, I saw it, gasping.

There was a crack; small and jagged, arching through the circuitry of my chip. It was very faint, but now that I could see it, there was no way I'd ever forget the image.

This was an x-ray. Of _my_ broken chip. My mouth wide open in disbelieve, I slapped a hand to my neck- where my chip pulsed with bionic energy. I tenderly fingered the thin incision right below my ear- a scar that had never properly healed. "So it's damaged?" I choked out. A damaged chip was one of the worse things that could ever happen to a bionic soldier. Terrible things were said to happen- glitches, loss of power...sometimes your bionics never came back. I've heard all the stories.

Mr. Davenport shook his head and handed the tablet to Dellie, who inspected the image warily, using her hand to spin the holograph around. It took a great effort for me to tear my eyes from it. It was a nightmare come true.

"It _was_ damaged," Mr. Davenport said, surprising me. "But it isn't anymore."

He nodded at the holograph, his eyes grave. He didn't like seeing his inventions broken either. "That image was from _before_ the accident. We've done scans of your chip before, during our weekly inspection, but we must not have looked closely enough to catch it." Dellie scowled at him, turning off the tablet with her thumb. "Well, that's awfully careless of you. What if it had affected her bionics?"

Mr. Davenport frowned, before stealing back his tablet. "I doubt you'd do much better if you had to babysit hundreds of potentially dangerousbionic _kids_ every single day." I knew the whole 'kid' thing was a specific jab at Dellie's stature. She caught it too, her face turning red. "Something like this was bound to slip the the cracks," Mr. Davenport finished, looking at me apologetically.

Dellie narrowed her eyes at Mr. Davenport. "You're just afraid to admit that the great, powerful, _notorious_ Donald Davenport _made a mistake_." She hissed.

I tried to tune out Dellie's and Mr. Davenport's angry thoughts- but they were so _freaking_ loud. There had to be a way to temporarily disengage this ability. I glanced out the window, irritated. It was about one in the morning now. As much as I wanted to know about my bionic chip, I was exhausted. And I still didn't know what happened to Chase, which concerned me greatly.

Mr. Davenport was sputtering in anger at Dellie, who was simply staring at him in amusement. According to her thoughts, she lived to watch people unravel. That certainly sounded like something she'd think. It was hilarious watching a sixteen year old girl and a forty-some man have at each other...but being able to hear their thoughts wasn't healthy for me. I couldn't focus on what was real and what was in my- and their- heads.

To be honest, I was quite tired of juggling my own thoughts with others, and I'd only had the ability for a day- not even that. The telepathy came and went, but it wasn't as bad as it was the first time. Now that I actually _knew_ what it was, it wasn't so terrible. But my question still stood; Why did I have it in the first place? I knew everyone had hidden abilities, but it was just inconvenient that I suddenly got mine after the accident. Not only did I have a leg injury (which Davenport thought would heal fine after a few days), and a nasty head wound, but I also had a power I could hardly control- one that nearly drove me insane. How much worse could it get?

"It's not that I made a mistake exactly, it was just a..a...you're not...that's...Ugh!" For a brilliant inventor, Mr. Davenport seemed to be having quite a hard time conjuring up the words to set Dellie straight. Dellie watched his struggle, her expression smug. She really did _not_ like Mr. Davenport, whatever the reason why. I was too tired and too uneducated in the matter of mind reading to dig deep enough in her thoughts to figure it out.

Mr. Davenport turned to me, utterly exasperated. "Does she _have_ to be here?" He whined. For a forty-some man, he was sure acting like a child. I scratched my neck awkwardly. Dellie was my best friend, but she was kind of distracting Mr. Davenport from the point. Of course, she had a right to know how and why I could suddenly read her mind, considering she was the first one I'd told- but it would be nice to be able to _think_ by myself without her angry, pessimistic thoughts invading mine.

Before I could speak, Dellie stood up huffily, shoving the chair away with her leg. "I'm leaving," she announced loudly, looking straight at me. "And _not_ because some old man, stuck on his high horse told me too," She added, striking a haughty glance at Mr. Davenport, who stared at her, flabbergasted. "I've been here since nightfall, and I need to recharge," she explained to me. "I'll come back in the morning," she promised. She directed her thoughts right at me, and I was hit with a wave of emotion, coming from her. _And you_ better _tell me all about your telepathy,_ she thought. _Just get some sleep, and try to heal_. After a pause, I gave her a sharp nod, and she turned away, bumping roughly into Mr. Davenport's shoulder. Mr. Davenport's lip curled, and I could tell he had a few choice words he'd like to share with her. According to his thoughts, Dellie was going to be in big trouble for talking to him like that. But what else was new?

I cleared my throat, scratching at the thin white bandage around my thigh. It didn't even hurt, but I still had to wear the bandage until further notice. I had been distracted earlier, worried about the other students and concerned about my new power, that I didn't even notice what I was wearing until now. It was a simple grey dress, unfitted and loose, resembling a hospital gown. But more durable and chic, fit for a bionic soldier. Underneath was the bandage, and plain white undergarments. I faintly wondered who had changed me, hoping it wasn't Mr. Davenport or any of the boys. Hopefully not.

I coughed loudly in my fist, trying to get Mr. Davenport's attention back on me. "So...my damaged chip?" I reminded him tiredly. "Why was it cracked?" I asked.

Mr. Davenport nodded quickly, and moved to sit in Dellie's chair. "Right, well, I have a theory." he said, lifting a finger. He was slowly reverting back into a more mature state of mind, not that all distractions were gone. "The man who implanted your chip might have accidentally scratched the outer layer of your chip, where the data on your secret abilities are stored. As soon as we stabilized you last night, I scanned your chip, in case your head injury had caused any problems. The program was specifically looking for even the smallest of detriments, unlike the program we use during our weekly inspections," he paused. "After what I've seen with you, we should probably change that."

"I had expected to see damage, but you were lucky to have not gotten any worse injuries from the Blast-Wave cave-in. Even so, I was very surprised to see that you had _previous_ damage. Immediately, I removed your chip and rewired the circuitry, soldering the crack.  
I knew that as soon as you awoke, you would have gained a hidden ability or two, which is why we had you strapped down. It probably wasn't the best idea, considering how freaked out some people get when they are confined in a hospital, but your circumstances were far different."

"I knew as soon as you started... _reacting,_ that you must have gained some new ability. It can be very overwhelming at first, considering your body and mind isn't trained for the sudden change. But mind reading...that is something I haven't seen." He admitted.

I couldn't speak, I was in such amazement. If Dellie was here, she would be amazed too, I'm sure. I swallowed, and asked the question that had been on my mind since I first realized I had the ability.

"Is there a way to disengage it, temporarily, so I don't _always_ have to hear the thoughts of those around me?" I asked him anxiously. Mr. Davenport pursed his lips, deep in thought. "The creator of your chip was unsurprisingly reckless when it came to your hidden abilities. And not just your chip; almost every bionic chip at this academy has been altered past it's original dynamics," he said, bitterly. He had a little history with this 'creator', but I didn't push him to explain. "But when it comes to Cranium abilities- bionics that require using your subconscious mind- it is common sense for their to be an 'off' switch. Otherwise we'd have a _big_ problem with the whole Molecular Kinesis thing," he joked. I stared at him, not in the mood. He stifled his chuckle, and continued. "So, just to get an idea, how bad is the mind reading right now? Can you hear my thoughts?"

I ran a hand over my face and tried to explain. "It comes and goes, depending on how hard a person is thinking, or how emotional they are. Sometimes its like someone is whispering in my ear, sometimes it's as if they're screaming. It's...hard to explain. Right now, I can hear a couple distinguishable thoughts in the hallway- it's just a buzzing, and I'm sure if I tried, I could catch a few words. But you..." I paused, tipping my head. "You're thinking about some...anniversary? I can only catch a few key words; the rest is just...unintelligible. And you're _trying_ to think loudly. It might be easier if I really know the person, like Dellie. I could hear her very clearly."

Mr. Davenport looked impressed. "You were right," he told me. "My wedding anniversary is next week, and I'll have to leave the academy in Adam, Bree, Chase and Leo's hands for a day or so." He shuddered. "After what happened yesterday, I'm a little worried. Anyways, I'll have to get...Chase, maybe, to take some time during the week to help you train your mind. Telepathy is a really useful ability. _Incredibly_ useful." He shook his head in amazement. "After you get a hang of it, you would be _amazing_ on missions. Think of all the possibilities..." he said wistfully, staring off into space. A sudden flame of red came over my face as I read his thoughts. He thinks I could be a great hero someday.

I caught onto one thought very specifically. He _really_ wanted to promote me to red. The reds get better training and more attention, which was exactly what I wanted in the first place. It was the whole _reason_ I was in the cafeteria when the ceiling fell. "Yes," I agreed, unabashed. "I should absolutely be promoted to red,"After what I went through, I deserved it. Mr. Davenport was thinking along the same lines, although seemed to question placing me in a dorm room full of vaguely unfamiliar kids "Oh...You don't need to move me into a separate-" I started, but Mr. Davenport put a hand up, interrupting me. "Having you always a step ahead of me is going to get some getting used too," he thought aloud. "But, yes, I do need to move you into your own room...at least until you get your mind-reading under control. Being red-level is hard. You're going to need all the sleep and comfort you can get. You'll thank me for it later," he promised. I relented, kind of relishing in the idea of having my own space. I'll miss having the company, but alone time sounds amazing right now, too.

I yawned unintentionally, and rubbed my eyes. Mr. Davenport smiled at me, and only then did I realize how tired he had to be, too. "With my head wound, would it be harmful if I went to sleep?" I asked him. He shook his head. "You're good. And I re-did your bandages before you awoke, too. The morphine should last a while in your bloodstream, but you'll heal fast. You can spend the rest of the night in the infirmary, but after that, you'll definitely need your capsule to recharge your bionics." He ordered.

I nodded at him, settling down in the bed, uncomfortable with the feeling. "How can you humans sleep like this?" I murmured to Mr. Davenport, who was getting ready to leave for bed, himself. "Its really quite comfortable once you get used to it," he told me. I nodded again, my eyes fluttering. The background noise was back, but it wasn't enough that I couldn't sleep. I had a lot of information to process, but after the night I'd had- it could wait til morning. Hopefully no one's thoughts would keep me awake.

Mr. Davenport pulled a warm blanket over me in a fatherly fashion, and turned toward the doorway to turn of the lights. "We can talk more in the morning, if you want. But we both need our beauty sleep," he whispered. I chuckled lightly, and snuggled into the bed. Okay, the horizontal-sleeping wasn't so terrible.

As he flicked of the lights, he lingered in the doorway, his silhouette brightened by the hallway lights. My eyes popped open. "Wait," I called out to him, my voice shill. "I totally forgot to ask...we got kind of distracted. But what happened to Chase?"

I couldn't see Mr. Davenport's face, but I could hear his thoughts, light and tired, echoing in my head. "He had only minor injuries. He stayed by your side for hours while you were unconscious, worried out of his mind. He even helped me treat your injuries, specifically your thigh and the back of your head. When your friends came to see you after the school was secured, he just...disappeared. No one has seen him for a long time, but I'm sure he's fine. He has a lot to think about, almost as much as you do."

"I texted him when you awoke, but I didn't get any response. You'll...just need to give him some time. But I'm sure he'll be more than willing to help you with your powers once you are better. He seems to care for you quite a bit. He saved you, even though he says that you saved him, back in the cafeteria." I tried to think back to when I ever saved the boy, but I was at a lost. He was much more of a hero than I could be, red level or not. Mr. Davenport didn't pressure me for details. I think he could tell that I was almost halfway asleep.

"You two should really talk," he murmured distractedly, closing the door. _Goodnight, Amina,_ he thought.

And I faded into the sweet darkness of sleep, the lazy, unreadable thoughts of others lulling me into a jumbled, dream-filled slumber.

 _(A/N): This was chapter was definitely not the best, but I don't really have a set plan for this story. It was kind of hard writing the explanation for Amina's mind reading (I have a limited knowledge of bio-chemistry and such, despite my love for Lab Rats), but at least the chapter is finally done. Sorry again for the shoddily writing; I've been nannying all week, and I'm exhausted. But I thank you for reading thus far, and, please, don't forget to like and review if you have any ideas for the plot or the characters._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chase's P.O.V.**  
I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. I went over it in my head a billion times, imagining a dozen different ways it could have gone better. Or worse. I was frustrated with myself, which didn't happen often. Usually it was _other_ people making the mistakes.

What I regretted the most is not being there when Amina got hurt. I could have saved her. But I was too slow.  
I should have been calmer. I should have been faster. And for God's sake, I should have been _smarter!_ What is wrong with me? When did I become such a...disappointment. To myself, to my family...and to her.

 _I remember stumbling blindly through the cafeteria, unable to see past the dust. I mean, I have enhanced sight, so I should have been good, right? Wrong._ Wrong _._ _Nothing was right about that day. But despite my temporary blindness, I could hear Amina's every whimper and cry._

 _I knew the moment I saw her blood, shining on the white floors that something had gone terribly wrong. I remember seeing her the first time through the dust, lying on the stained floor, clenching her eyes in pain. There was a terribly large piece of the ceiling impaled into her leg, and I couldn't help gagging. I have certainly seen much worse...but seeing Amina like that, I felt sick to my stomach._

 _As soon I saw her, I should have moved. I could have gotten the force field up in time, not like I'd done before. I was already upset about that. The lamp nearly crashed on us, but thanks to Amina's reflexes we dodged out of the way just in time- but we couldn't do anything about the falling sheet rock. We were lucky not to have been hurt earlier. But I knew our luck had ran out as soon as I saw a large chunk of mortar from the very roots of the academy fall from the heavens...and shatter right over Amina's head. I shouted at her, even though I knew she wouldn't have been able to move in time. Or move at all with her injured leg._

 _Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion. My bionic vision very_ inconveniently _decided to kick in right then to focus on how her dark, unseeing eyes rolled back into her head, and all her muscles went slack. She slumped to the ground awkwardly, the shard in her thigh digging deep into her leg._

 _Somehow, without me telling it too, my body had moved by itself, and within seconds I was crouched over Amina, throwing up a force-field around us, just as a precautionary. While I had one hand holding up the glimmering blue force-field, I pressed my other to her arched neck, testing for a pulse. It was there, thankfully, but it was faint. She was fading. As I stared down at her, my fingertips and the sleeve of my white uniform became stained with the blood that had spilled from her temple. She had an injury on the back of her head too, probably a concussion._

 _The rumblings of the building soon faded away, and if I looked up, I could see straight up into the training arena. I could see a boy's legs dangling from the unstable floor, and I could hear the shouts of my siblings and father. The training room floor had totally caved in._

 _"Help!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I watched as Adam and Bree pulled up the boy, pushing him behind them. I shouted again, and the three worried faces of my family peered down through the hole at me and Amina._

 _"Chase?" Mr. Davenport shouted back. "What are you doing down there?" He asked. I shook my head, not finding the words to explain. The why's and the how's didn't matter right now...All that mattered was Amina. "It doesn't matter!" I yelled. "But Amina's hurt, bad, and the doorway is blocked. We're in the cafeteria."_

 _Mr. Davenport nodded and pulled Bree from the edge. Adam lingered and stared down at us, confused. "Whose Amina?" He asked. I flushed with anger, and pulled down my force field to give him a glimpse of the broken girl in my arms. "The girl that's going to_ die _if you don't get down here and_ help me!"

 _There. I said it. I asked him for help. I didn't listen for a response from him. I just turned back to Amina and stroked her hair back, careful not to scrape her head wound. In a stroke of insanity, I bent down and pressed my lips to her cheek, before pulling away and whispering in her ear. "Please, Amina. Please...be okay."_


	11. Chapter 11

I stayed by Amina's side for hours after we were saved. I couldn't sleep, in fear of what I would dream. I tried not to think- which was hard for me. But thinking hurt too much. The only thing I cared about was Amina.

How had I not noticed her before? She was so...remarkable. I felt by now, I could spot her in almost an crowd, no matter the size. I would never be able to miss her.

I hated having to tell Mr. Davenport what had happened. I couldn't explain why Amina was hurt, why I couldn't save her- but Mr. Davenport, to my surprise, seemed to understand. He didn't push me for answers. He was just happy I was okay. I had sustained a few minor injuries- scrapes and cuts- but I've always been able to heal fast...probably due to Adam beating me up and throwing me around my whole life.

After we had secured the school, the students were all let into the building. They were all curious about the damage, and Adam, the big blabber-mouth, told them everything. I was sad to have to let Amina go when her friends came to see her; But I was just so relieved that no one else had been injured. It was a stroke of luck that they were all in the courtyard, or in farther parts of the island when the Blast-Wave mishap happened. Amina, Ian- the boy who caused this whole mess- and I were the only ones to get hurt. Amina and I were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, while Ian...was just unlucky.

Apparently, some of the older kids were giving him a hard time in Adam's class about not being able to control his bionics. Ian tried to prove them wrong, but instead of showing off, he ended up having a major glitch, discovering that he could harness a mass amount of bionic energy and blast whatever dared to get in his way. Which just so happened to be the other students. Adam got the other kids in his class out of the way just in time, while Bree and Mr. Davenport tried to calm the boy. But when that didn't work, all Mr. Davenport could do was cower behind a upturned table as Adam and Bree attempted to contain him Ian the training room. By that point, I had already ditched my siblings, preferring to clean the cafeteria rather than help the brother that had slighted me earlier that day. I _really_ did not want to think about that. I'm sure my brother would forget about it in a day, and I was trying too, as well.

Anyways, Ian was out of control. They couldn't stop his blast waves from destroying the training room, sending the floor slowly but surely caving in...nearly killing me and Amina, who were a floor beneath them, fearing for our lives.

(According to Mr. Davenport, the academy could be fixed in a day, thanks to a handful of cash and very discreet construction workers.)

Now why Amina was in the cafeteria was all alone after lunch was a mystery to me- until it was explained to me afterward by her 'good' friend Joseph, who I thought was getting a little handsy with her unconscious body. I figured I'd have to keep an eye on him.

Nevertheless, according to Joseph, and confirmed by Amina's nearly _intolerable_ friend Donaldella (who has been a brat to me- and everyone else who had the misfortune to be placed in a role of authority- since day one at the academy)- Amina was waiting in the cafeteria for Mr. Davenport...who wanted to promote her to red. Now, obviously, Mr. Davenport was a little busy with Ian during the end of the lunch period, but I couldn't help feeling a little displeased with my father. He _was,_ inadvertently, the reason Amina was in the cafeteria in the first place. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have been there to get hurt. But, then again, you could blame me too, for not being with my family to stop the Blast-Waves from happening in the first place, as well.

It was all very conflicting, but the one thing everyone could agree on was that this was a total and utterly _freak_ accident. Every made a mistake that day...and not just me.

And what else was freak? The fact that Amina would have brand-new abilities when she awoke. When Mr. Davenport told me about her chip, in private- as her friends were visiting- I felt incredibly overwhelmed. I had really started to care for this girl, though I hardly knew here.

I needed some alone time to reset and collect my thoughts- preferably with Amina by my side, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

So I vanished. I hid on the island, trying to find someplace to distract me from the pain of waiting, allowing me to analyze how I felt. It was all very jumbled now...

If my family looked hard enough, they might be able to find me. But after all that happened, I don't think they would try. We all try to get away from each other after something like this happens. After spending our entire lives living, eating, training and now working with each other, alone time was a rare delicacy.

I knew Adam felt bad about Ian getting so out of control. He _was_ Adam's student, after all. Bree was just tired of always playing hero, and I really didn't blame her. It was tiring work, but I couldn't claim the title of 'hero' today...or yesterday, whatever the time was.

I guess everyone- even bionic super humans- make mistakes, and we should be able to forgive ourselves. But the only way _I'd_ ever be able to forgive myself is by doing everything I can to make up for my mistakes. Starting with figuring out how I felt about Amina, and how I could make up for not being able to save her when I had the chance. Thinking through _that_ was hard, but not impossible, especially not for me. It was just different for me, caring so much about a girl. I knew she would heal, and I knew that the next time I saw her, everything would be different.

But I didn't know how much.


End file.
